1. Field
The invention is in the field of apparatus for extruding desired composite products, especially food products such as synthetic bacon, from various kinds of food materials such as processed meat and fat.
2. State of the Art
Considerable work has been done in the past toward realization of an economically feasible machine for the purpose of producing a patterned, synthetic bacon product simulating natural bacon from various kinds and types of flesh and fat. Cheney U.S. Pat. No. 4,196,222 of Apr. 1, 1989 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,200,959 of May 6, 1980 were issued to Burns Foods, Ltd. of Calgary, Canada, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,340,994 of Jul. 27, 1982 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,480,980 of Nov. 6, 1984 were issued to Beehive Machinery, Inc. of Sandy, Utah, on patent applications of Feb. 12, 1980 and Feb. 28, 1977, respectively, for inventions in which the present inventor was a joint inventor. All of these patented machines have been reasonably successful in handling emulsified flesh and fat, whether of pork, chicken, or turkey. Other machines for producing various other types of composite products are shown in other prior U.S. and Canadian Patents.